The fluid carrying pipes of irrigation systems are often made of galvanized steel or other metals. Some source water has high pH levels and/or contains chemicals, minerals, or other deposits which can cause such metal pipes to corrode and potentially leak. To alleviate this, irrigation systems may be retrofitted with PVC or plastic pipes. However, because it is impractical to replace the existing metal pipes with PVC or plastic pipes, the PVC or plastic pipes are often suspended from the existing metal pipes and the water or other fluid is channeled through the suspended pipes.
Both the metal pipes and the suspended plastic pipes expand and contract longitudinally due to changes in temperature. Unfortunately, the plastic pipes expand and contract at a different rate than the metal pipes. Thus, the suspended pipes often undergo side-to-side buckling, warping, or “snaking” as they expand, which induces stresses on the irrigation systems and the suspended pipes and may create leaks near sprinkler openings along the suspended pipes. Another problem with suspending PVC or plastic pipes from existing metal pipes is that a distance over which the suspended pipes can cover is limited by the maximum available lengths of PVC or plastic pipes.